When I asked a question about Jehovah’s Witnesses and credit card debt, one member of your faith wrote:

“If unforeseen circumstances should befall one that is diligently trying to serve Jehovah, the watchtower society will help.”

Now I know that Jehovah’s Witnesses discourage their members from contributing money to charitable causes like World Vision. Also, the biggest priority of the group is the Great Commission (personal evangelism). Yet the Bible also says (for example, in 1 Timothy 5 and James 2:15) that Christians should care for the downtrodden within their congregation.

Does the Watchtower Society have a formal system of charity for orphans, widows, and homeless people? For example, last week in my church we collected a “love offering” for some person in the church who had fallen into tough financial times. Do you do that?

If you are a Jehovah’s Witness and you have run into some tough times, is there a sub-agency with the Watchtower Society that you could write to for cash assistance?

I’m asking this question because I seriously don’t know the answer. Former Jehovah’s Witnesses say that there is no such program available. But current Jehovah’s Witnesses say quite the opposite.

Well I assume that your talking about The Watctower Bible and Tract Society. If this is correct than the answer is no, WBTS is merely the legal entity used to publish our Bibles, and Bible based literature.

It sounds like the person that told you: “If unforeseen circumstances should befall one that is diligently trying to serve Jehovah, the watchtower society will help.”, is studying, or a new Jehovah's Witness.

There is however protocol when it comes to assisting those who fall upon hard times. Usually this is done on a congregation level, in my cong. for instance we have an elder designated specifically to coordinate the helping of those in need.

Helping those in need can entail many things, such as food, medical care, housing, repairing the homes of elderly, it can even entail small things like sending flowers. In fact the Elder I mentioned earlier recently contacted me explaining a situation where a single sister needed assistance (home repair), in which I was able to help.

Big Brown is full of HATE for some reason, and it makes me sad to see someone harbor that much animosity.

**Edit**
When a big disaster takes place (such as Katrina), the relief work is organized by the local Branch Office of Jehovah's Witnesses. for instance I live several states away from Louisana, yet our congregation was given the chance to open our homes for those who had lost their homes. Of course we were so far away there weren't many that had to use our homes, but their was one sister that came to our congregation and stayed w/ a family for about 6 months. When she went home we had a going away party for her, and it seemed that the family that she had stayed w/ were the most touched by the experiance.

I was a JW for 16 years, and I believe that financial help for an individual or family would be left up to the discretion of the Elders in each individual congregation. The actual Watchtower Society would have nothing to do with it. Elders of the congregation would ask other members of said congregation to donate to a fund for the needy. Or to donate food, or whatever was needed. Nothing formal, no paperwork or anything. Hope that helps.

I see a lot of assertions here about JWs aiding people in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I happen to have the June 2006 issue of Awake! magazine. On pages 16-17 is a picture of the Astrodome in Houston, where 16,000 evacuees were sheltered. Two pictures depict JW elders walking through the crowds holding up signs inviting Witnesses to identify themselves with a caption reading, “Christian elders sought out the Witnesses among the evacuees.” The article states, “After searching without success for three hours, they realized that they needed a more practical system. They asked the Red Cross to make an announcement over the public address system: ‘All who are baptized Jehovah’s Witnesses, please go to the east ramp on the ground floor level.’ Finally, Witnesses began to trickle in with big smiles on their faces…On Friday and Saturday, 24 Witnesses were found and were taken to the Witness relief center." So, out of 16,000 evacuees, the organization aided 24 Witnesses!

The six-page article goes on to describe how many Witness homes and Kingdom Halls were damaged in the Long Beach, Mississippi, and Louisiana areas as well as in the Houston, Texas, area following Hurricane Rita. The reports tell precisely how many homes and Kingdom Halls were damaged in each area along with the number that work had been completed on as of mid-February, 2006. In the entire article, it makes mention twice of non-Witnesses being helped: In Mississippi, “The Witnesses also rendered help to non-Witness neighbors.” In Louisiana, “Again, neighbors and families with dire need were also helped.” No mention at all of how many.

I could care less about "Best Answer." I would rather my answers never be chosen on YA if people would rather be lied to or given misinformation (I'm not referring to Rustic here). I'm concerned that people should know the truth, because the Truth will set them free.

[EDIT] I gave Poto an honest answer on his question "Why ask a religious question to a specific group, then choose the comment from a biased enemy of that group?" and he blocked me...go figure! BTW, didn't bar_enosh respond to his question something to the effect that it was just as bad for people to block those they are afraid might give them a run for their money???

(Do you REALLY care what Jehovah's Witnesses have to say in this question, or are you simply going to choose another "best answer" from one of your Anti-JW buddies?)

No, that is not a function of the Watchtower Society. We do not collect for orphanages or the homeless or things of that nature. There are social programs in place for people in those situations. However, what we will do, in times of natural disaster for example, is help not only our fellow brothers and sisters, but also those who do not share our faith. My parents are among many who traveled down to Mississippi/Louisiana to help with Kingdom Hall and home reconstruction for our brothers and sisters there, but the workers also repaired roofs and homes for people of other faiths as well (some of whom made remarks to us about not getting any help from their churches, incidentally).

We only are discouraged from contributing to charitable causes that have ties to false religion. We certainly neither endorse nor would support the spread of false religious efforts around the world.

The main responsibility for caring for the unfortunate within our congregetions is within the family setting. If they are unable, or if there is no family available to help someone, the congregation elders would look into the situation and see that the person is assisted.

- Rustic (Tobias), you know that's a blatant lie. And assuming it isn't, why would you ask a question directly TO Jehovah's Witnesses, and then choose an answer from someone who not only ISN'T a JW, but has shown a history of extreme bigotry and dishonesty when commenting on any questions asked about or to them? (i.e. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArzgQxR4WVBDZTTjUCbo6xjty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090608093833AAtcYGt&show=7#profile-info-hj76FSKdaa)
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Pitiful......the lengths that Satan's agents will go to in attacking Jehovah's Witnesses. Yet at the same time.......it's great, because they more they do it, the more they prove us as Jesus' true followers. Keep it up! LOL!

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I seem to remember that one of the nice aspects of Yahoo! Answers is the ability to customize or make use of certain options if you so feel like doing so. One of those is to keep your Q/A private. I'm one of those choosing to exercise my right to do so, 'nuff said. Is there some Y! Answers rule that says you have to make them all public?

They do more things than provide medicine or food. They may have women organize efforts to do a person's housework, home maintenance, grocery shopping, etc.

When a brother's house burned at my hall, the friends rebuilt a new one for him.

I've gotten help with my housework when I was ill before....my handicapped friend has a steady stream of volunteers helping her with various tasks. They also built her a handicapped ramp at her rent house and her own house when she lived here.

Yes, I answered a question a few days ago, and it included the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses, AKA: WTS, DO NOT HAVE ANY FUND FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANS NOR DO THEY HAVE ANY FUND THAT HELPS THEIR PEOPLE, THEIR FOLLOWERS WHEN THEY RUN INTO VERY HARD TIMES.

I know because I lost my vehicle to a tourist who came to my town and raced a red light striking off the front of my vehicle. I had no means to get around and ran into serious financial hardship. I was lied to by witnesses who did not want to help; maybe they couldn't because no one has much of an education in this bunch so they don't make much money and it's misery, but no one would help.

I was told by the elders that this religious organization, the witnesses, do not have any fund to help single mothers, those in need, no clothing, no special funding, nothing, and that if they would get help it would have to come from individual people in the congregations who just felt pity for someone who needed help and they had "a few extra bucks, i.e.".

I then wrote to and called the Society and was sent a "Good luck John " letter and "Hope it works out", something to that effect by the Watchtower Society. I then called in and spoke to the liaison for my geographical area and he too told me that they would not be helping me that their main concern was the preaching work door to door. He also said there is no funding and people, witnesses, should not be stating OTHERWISE.

He said not to believe them and correct them when they say this, but here we are years later from this incident, and only 8 months out since I removed myself from the hypocritical "SAY ANYTHING" cult, and the Klan is still claiming the society will help and build houses for those less fortunate, and that there is a fund for widows and orphans. They keep lying. Anything to brainwash and give misguided honor to their false religious cause. JUST SAY ANYTHING is what I have found how the witlessness behave. Anything to PRAISE their sacred "FAKETOWER".

NO. There is no funding for widows and orphans, for the homeless, nothing. If fact 10 months ago when I began to encounter fraudulent wolves within my congregation, I asked an elder and his wife "If she succeeds and I find myself losing my home, being out on the street---".. when the elder's wife and he quickly cut me off. They said "Oh, no. We will make sure that you are not homeless. We won't allow that to happen". BUT about a week or so later, the story changed when I asked again because the sisters (witnesses) were committing fraud against me trying to take my house away that I was buying from them. Now the story was by the same elder and his wife "Oh, no we won't allow that to happen. Whatever the County or City will do for you, we will try to help where we can". When I asked why they had changed, they shriveled up and slithered their tails between their legs.

I knew then that I would have to take these witnesses who were very evil people to court. That is where we are now and I am winning and now a lawsuit was filed against them all. Sisters and Brothers are not supposed to sue one another, but this organization, and I've have stated this repeatedly, is not from God. It is a corporation masking itself with a doctored, slanderous version of the Bible and false religion. They are seeped in hypocrisy. When they lie it's OK. WHEN WE'VE HAD ENOUGH, guess what?

APOSTATE!!! They call us. God will deal a mightily swift fist to those mocking and slandering his word, duping so many in the name of false religion. HYPOCRITES they are.

Yes, I answered a question a few days ago, and it included the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses, AKA: WTS, DO NOT HAVE ANY FUND FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANS NOR DO THEY HAVE ANY FUND THAT HELPS THEIR PEOPLE, THEIR FOLLOWERS WHEN THEY RUN INTO VERY HARD TIMES.

I know because I lost my vehicle to a tourist who came to my town and raced a red light striking off the front of my vehicle. I had no means to get around and ran into serious financial hardship. I was lied to by witnesses who did not want to help; maybe they couldn't because no one has much of an education in this bunch so they don't make much money and it's misery, but no one would help.

I was told by the elders that this religious organization, the witnesses, do not have any fund to help single mothers, those in need, no clothing, no special funding, nothing, and that if they would get help it would have to come from individual people in the congregations who just felt pity for someone who needed help and they had "a few extra bucks, i.e.".

I then wrote to and called the Society and was sent a "Good luck John " letter and "Hope it works out", something to that effect by the Watchtower Society. I then called in and spoke to the liaison for my geographical area and he too told me that they would not be helping me that their main concern was the preaching work door to door. He also said there is no funding and people, witnesses, should not be stating OTHERWISE.

He said not to believe them and correct them when they say this, but here we are years later from this incident, and only 8 months out since I removed myself from the hypocritical "SAY ANYTHING" cult, and the Klan is still claiming the society will help and build houses for those less fortunate, and that there is a fund for widows and orphans. They keep lying. Anything to brainwash and give misguided honor to their false religious cause. JUST SAY ANYTHING is what I have found how the witlessness behave. Anything to PRAISE their sacred "FAKETOWER".

NO. There is no funding for widows and orphans, for the homeless, nothing. If fact 10 months ago when I began to encounter fraudulent wolves within my congregation, I asked an elder and his wife "If she succeeds and I find myself losing my home, being out on the street---".. when the elder's wife and he quickly cut me off. They said "Oh, no. We will make sure that you are not homeless. We won't allow that to happen". BUT about a week or so later, the story changed when I asked again because the sisters (witnesses) were committing fraud against me trying to take my house away that I was buying from them. Now the story was by the same elder and his wife "Oh, no we won't allow that to happen. Whatever the County or City will do for you, we will try to help where we can". When I asked why they had changed, they shriveled up and slithered their tails between their legs.

I knew then that I would have to take these witnesses who were very evil people to court. That is where we are now and I am winning and now a lawsuit was filed against them all. Sisters and Brothers are not supposed to sue one another, but this organization, and I've have stated this repeatedly, is not from God. It is a corporation masking itself with a doctored, slanderous version of the Bible and false religion. They are seeped in hypocrisy. When they lie it's OK. WHEN WE'VE HAD ENOUGH, guess what?

APOSTATE!!! They call us. God will deal a mightily swift fist to those mocking and slandering his word, duping so many in the name of false religion. HYPOCRITES they are.

I have never needed financial help. I have helped sisters when they needed help. I couldn't tell you what the society does regarding financial hardship. I do know that the society helped many who were not witnesses rebuild after Katrina they built houses for people, they paid for everything, volunteered their time also and did not ask for payment. Also they didn't brag about it on TV like so many have the custom of doing. Also none of Jehovah's people suffer, we will always have a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear. We don't need a orphan or widow fund, they will always be taken care of.